Hobby-horse



(NoModeL) M. BOHLIG.

HOBBY HORSE.

No. 300,200. Patented June 10, 1884.

\A/ITNE-EEES! I INVENTUR N. PETERs Plmo-Limq m mr. Withingion. 0J1" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN BOHLIG, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA.

HOBBY-HORSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,200, dated June 10, 1884. Application filed March 20, 1884. (No model.)

To It whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVIARTIN BOHLIG, of Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hobby-Horses; and I do hereby declare that. the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the-letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of this invention is an improvement in hobby-horses, whereby children may exercise and amuse themselves with perfect safety and comfort, and I am enabled'to effect great economy and simplicity in the pro duction of a toy of this character.

The novelty therein consists in the arrangement, between the seat and a base supported upon wheels, of a sloping board hinged at its lower front end to the base, and rigidly secured at its rear elevated end to the seat, with a spiral spring interposed'between the rear end of the sloping board and the base, by which arrangement of parts the seat is adapted to a rocking as well as to an up-and-down movement, and a proper and comfortable footrest is established for the rider, all as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

For a better understanding of my invention, attention is invited to the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved hobby-horse when stationary or unoccupied; Fig. 2, a side elevation showing in solid lines the position of the parts when the spring is depressed, and in dotted lines their position when the same is returned to its normal condition; and Fig. 3, a rear elevation representing the rocking motion of the seat by dotted lines.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A A denote the horses proper, between which is secured a seat, B, with an inclined back, a, the sides of the horses, together with the back of the seat, rendering it impossible for the child to fall out. The horses may be bridled and saddled, if desired, the saddle to have a handle, by which the child may hold and maintain his position in the seat with more certainty. To the rear and under side of the seat is rigidly secured, in any suitable manner, the rear end of a sloping board, 0,

hinged at its lower front end to a base, D, which is mounted upon wheels E E.

A spiral spring, F, is interposed between the rear secured end of the sloping board and the rear end of the base, being secured to both in any appropriate manner. This sloping board in front of the seat may be adapted to more comfortably accommodate the feet of the rider by means of a cleat, strip, or other suitable support, b, secured crosswise of the same,

as shown in Fig. l.

The operation of the hobby-horse is as follows: If the rider sits upon the side of the seat, close to either horse, and immediately changes his position to the opposite side, a rocking motion is imparted to the seat; or the same motion will follow if the rider swings his body to the right and left; or at another time, or coincident with these exercises of the body, the rider may propel the hobby-horse forward by placing his feet upon the sloping board or the base and allowing his Weight to depress and relax the spring. Thus forward motion is had by a succession of leaps.

It will be apparent that this hobby-horse may be most successfully adapted for out-ofdoor exercises and use by mounting the base upon wheels about six inches in diameterand attaching a tongue to the front axle or to the front of the base, thereby converting the toy into a kind of cart or wagon.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a hobby-horse, a sloping board rigidly secured, at its rear elevated end to a seat and hinged at its lower frontend to asupporting-base, substantially as described.

-2. In a hobby-horse, a sloping board rigidly secured at its rear elevated end to a seat and hinged at its lower front end to a base supported upon wheels, with a spring interposed between the rear end of said board and the base, whereby the seat is adapted to a rocking as well as to an up-and-down movement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARTHA BOHLIG. Witnesses:

WILLIAM GRAHAM, Mormon M. CADY. 

